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Roast Pork with Sauerkraut
Background info: Considered one of the most versatile meats, pork has been part of our culinary history for millennia, with archaeological evidence pointing to simultaneous domestication of pigs from wild boars occurring between 11,000 and 8,000 years ago in both Cyprus and China. Pork remains a highly valued staple in Chinese cuisine, so much so that half the world’s pork consumption occurs in China.
Among other pork favorites (like pork belly and smoked pork ribs), roast pork continues to charm tastebuds with its lucious and crisp external layer of skin and fat, also called crackling. Although commercially-raised pork remains a common choice in grocery stores, there has been renewed consumer interest in pasture-raised pork in recent years, signaling a positive change in pork production that could benefit both human and soil health.
—Price-Pottenger
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Roast pork with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut is a traditional New Year’s Day meal in Pennsylvania. But don’t wait until January 1 to make it! It’s a great and easy meal for weeknights or weekends and makes delicious leftovers for sandwiches. This is my cheat’s version of a pan sauerkraut. Serve with mashed potatoes.
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 1 boneless, skin-on (see tip) pork loin roast (about 5 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for roasting
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1½ teaspoons dried
- Sea salt
- 1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- ½ head cabbage, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Place the pork loin, skin-side up, on a large rimmed baking sheet. Score the skin with a small, sharp knife at ½-inch intervals and rub with a little oil, the rosemary, and salt to taste.
- Roast for about 1 hour, or until golden and crispy. (The internal temperature should read 145° F on a meat thermometer.) If the skin isn’t crispy, turn the broiler on high and broil 3 to 5 minutes, until crispy. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- While the pork is roasting, in a large cast-iron skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes, until the onions are soft. Add the cabbage, vinegar, water, and cider and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 35 minutes, or until the cabbage is pale and tender.
- Slice the pork and serve with the sauerkraut and mashed potatoes.
TIP: While most pork roasts are generally sold without skin, you can order pork loin with skin on from most butchers. The skin gets lovely and crunchy (just like fried pork rinds!). You can also roast it without the skin, but at the very least with a small layer of fat to keep it juicy.
Reprinted by permission of Maria Rodale from Scratch: Home Cooking for Everyone Made Simple, Fun, and Totally Delicious (Rodale Inc., 2016). Visit mariarodale.com.
Photograph by Con Poulos.
Published in the Journal of Health and Healing™
Spring 2023 | Volume 47, Number 1
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